Medicament applicator



Dec. 30, 1952 M. J. COHEN MEDICAMENT APPLICATOR Filed July 5l, 1950 INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 3i), 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to a medicament applicator and more particularly to a medicament applicator intended for the treatment of diseases of the female genital organs.

lPrior medicament applicators of the foregoing 'type have vpreviously been made in the form of a douche having a nozzle for insertion in the vagina and a flexible container having therein a mixture of water and medicine which is adapted to pass through the nozzle under slight pressure for treatment of the genital organs. Other applicators have merely consisted of a nozzle through which a small amount of medicine could be ap* lied to the interior of the vagina.

These prior applicators have had several serious disadvantages. For example, none of them makes provision for the fact that the vagina has a large number of folds therein which may be harboring disease within Vthe interstices therebetween and that adequate treatment thereof requires that the vagina be distended during the treatment to fully eliminate such folds whereby the medication will come into contact with all areas of infection. A second disadvantage resides in the fact that where water is used for carrying the medicament to the affected parts, the operation is messy and requires bath and toilet facilities to be avail-able. Other disadvantages are the inability to maintain safe sanitation of the types of applicators heretofore employed and to have prepared stand-ard dosages of medicament available for immediate use.

The present invention corrects these deficiencies by providing an applicator having a nozzle for insertion within the vagina and a receptacle adapted to receive a renewable sealed capsule vcontaining a compressed inert Ior harmless gas and a medicament in fluid form, the amount of medicament being standardized in dosage for the particular ailment to be treated. The capsule is provided with a frangible `seal which i-s arranged to be in juxtaposition with a pin Ain the receptacle when the capsule is placed therein land the receptacle is so arranged that the seal in the capsule can be impinged upon the pin to puncture lthe seal when the treatment is to be applied. Upon puncturing the seal, the gas in the capsule passes through the nozzle carrying the medicament with it 'and inflates the vagina to eliminate the folds therein while forcibly causing the medicament to lcome into contact with all areas to be treated. 'The applicator is so designed that no leakage or a controlled amount of leakage of 1'the gas `occurs from the vagina until completion @of the treatment whereupon withdrawal .of lthe (Cl. 12S- 184) applicator will permit the gas to escape while retaining the medicament which will have been trapped in the folds of the vagina by collapse of its walls.

The invention also contemplates an arrangement having two capsules within a receptacle on the applicator, one of which contains only gas and is employed for initially inating the vagina and the second of which contains both gas and a medicament which are released to maintain the ination of the vagina despite leakage while forcibly applying medicament thereto.-

An object of the present invention is to provide a vaginal medicament applicator which has :a high degree of sanitation.

Another object is to provide such an applicator whereby a standard prepared dosage of medicine may be applied.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a vaginal medicament applicator which will inflate the vagina and forcibly apply medicament thereto to insure effective medication thereof.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an applicator for treatment of diseases of the vagina which does not create a messy condition, is simple to use, and will therefore not -distress the user.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreelated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals l designate like parts throughout thegures thereof and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a preferred form of the medicament applicator of this invention; i j

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the applicator taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view takenon line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the directionof the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial sectional view showing the pin puncturing the frangib'le seal of the capsule;-

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form of the applicator;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5 looking in the directionof the arrows; and i Y l Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of the end of the applicator opposite the` nozzle showing indi-cia to be employed in the modification of Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 an applicator having a body I2 made of a rigid material such as aluminum, Bakelite, polystyrene, or similar material. Attached to the body is a nozzle |3 held in place by any detachable fastening means su-ch as a threaded connection I2. The nozzle is provided with a longitudinal passage I5 therethrough and small apertures I5 connected with the passage I5.

The body |2 is provided with a receptacle I? therein open at one end but with external screw threads adapted to have screwed thereon a screwcap I8 having `an enlarged central aperture I3 therethrough. To seal the receptacle Il against leakage of gas, `a circular exible gasket 2| made of rubber or other suitable material is arranged within the cap I8. The other end of the receptacle Il is closed by a wall 22 having therein an aperture 23 surrounded by an upstanding cylindrical wall 265. Centrally supported within the .aperture is an upstanding sharp-pointed pin 25 adapted to puncture a frangible seal 25 in the end of a capsule 27.

The capsule 2l contains a compressed gas such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, argon, helium, or any gas not harmful to human tissues and also has therein a fluid medicament of the type useful for treating diseases of the vagina, the quantity of the medicament being an approved vdosage for the particular disease to be treated. The medicament forms no part of the invention but may be a liquid, paste, or a fine powder as the `case requires and must, of course, be con patible with the gas employed in the capsule.

The opposite side of the wall 22 has mounted thereon one part of the threaded connection I3 which has a longitudinal duct therein connecting the aperture 23 with the passa-ge I5 of the nozzle I3.

The body |2 has integral therewith ay cup-like member 28 lined with sponge rubber 23 or the like, the member 28 being shaped to intimately envelope the female genito-urinary area to prevent the escape of gas from the vagina when the applicator is in use. To further insure against the escape of gas, the body I2 is provided with an upstanding substantially cylindrical portion 3| adapted to partly enter the vagina and provide a tight t thereby to seal it against gas leakage.

The manner in which the applicator of Fig. l

is employed will now be briefly described. rThe cap I8 is first removed from the body I2 and a sealed capsule 27 containing the proper gas and medicament is inserted into the receptacle I'I after which the cap IB and its associated gasket 2| are tightly screwed in place. The nozzle I3 is next inserted into the vagina to a point at which the cylindrical portion 3| of the body I2 seals the vagina and the cup-like member 2B snugly envelops the body.

The applicator is now properly in place for the treatment which is commenced by inserting a finger into the aperture I9 in the cap I3 and pressing the flexible gasket 2| inte` the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 which forces the capsule 21 aga-inst the sharp pin 25 to cause it to puncture the frangible seal 26 in the capsule. The gas and medicament now are enabled to escape into the aperture 23 and the passage I5 to the apertures I5 from which they emerge into the vagina. The vagina is then distended by the gas toI a point where the folds are eliminated therefrom and the medicament is enabled to forcibly contact all infected areas. Should the distention be so great as tobe uncomfortable, a slight withdrawal of y the applicator will permit a small leakage of gas about the portion 3| and the member 28 which is allowed to continue until comfort is again restored. Upon completion of the treatment, withdrawal of the applicator will release all the gas and the vagina will return to normal leaving the medicament entrapped in its folds.

Referring now to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, a modified arrangement will now be described. As can be seen, the nozzle I3, member 23 and portion 3| are exactly the same as in the applicator of Fig. 2, the sole difference in the twoI forms residing in the body |2a.

The body |2a contains two receptacles Ilal and Ilb separated by a wall 32. One end of the body is adapted to be closed by a screw-cap 33, as in Fig. 1, having an aperture 34 therethrough and adapted to receive a flexible gasket 35 therein. The gasket may bear indicia thereon as indicated in Fig. 7 for a reason te be made clear hereinafter.

The other end of the body I2urr is closed by a wall 35 to complete the receptacles Ila and I'Ib. The receptacle Ila has an aperture 31 in the wall 35 and a pin 33 supported in the aperture for the same purpose as the pin 25 in Fig. 2. Receptacle I'ib is similarly provided with an aperture and pin.

The receptacles Ila and Il'b are adapted toreceive capsules 39 and 4 I, respectively, the capsule 33 being filled with a gas under pressure of the type previously described and having a frangible seal. The capsule 4| contains a similar gas under* pressure and any desired medicament in the proper dosage as in the case of capsule 2.

The manner in which the modification of Fig. 5 is employed will be readily apparent. After capsules 33 and 4| have been placed in receptacles i'ia and Ilb, respectively, the cap 33 and gasket 35 are tightened in position with the indicia on the gasket properly oriented over the capsules. rihe nozzle is next inserted in the vagina as described hereinbefore and, when in proper position, a finger is inserted in the aperture 3d of the cap 33 to deflect the gasket, as shown in Fig. 5, and ca-use the gas capsule 39 to impinge on the pin carried by the wall 36. The frangible seal of the capsule is thus punctured and the gas escapes into the nozzle I3 to cause distention of the vagina. After distention of the vagina, the finger in aperture 35| is shifted to cause denection of the capsule 4| and puncturing thereof by the pin 3S to admit gas and medicament to the nozzle I3 and thence to the vagina` As before, excess pressure may be relieved by a slight withdrawal of the applicator and complete withdrawal thereof will permit the gas to escape and allow collapse of the vagina.

From the foregoing description, it is clear that the arrangement of Fig. l permits simultaneous. distention and treatment of the vagina whereas the modified form of Fig. 5 allows distention to take place prior to the medication. It will be understood that if capsule 4I of Fig. 5 is employed alone without using capsule 39, the result will be similar to that of Fig. 1.

It will be apparent that the foregoing disclosure relates to only preferred embodiments of the invention and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended Claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A medicament applicator comprising a gastight receptacle, a nozzle having an aperture communicating with said receptacle, a capsule containing a medicament and a gas under pressure within said receptacle, a pin in the receptacle for puncturing said capsule, and a flexible cap on said receptacle adapted to be displaced to cause said capsule to impinge upon said pin.

2. A medicament applicator comprising a gastight receptacle, a nozzle having an aperture communicating with said receptacle, a capsule containing a medicament and a gas under pressure Within said receptacle, said receptacle having a plurality of compartments, a first capsule containing compressed gas in one compartment, a second capsule containing a medicament and compressed gas in the other compartment, and means in said applicator for puncturing said capsules.

3. The applicator of claim 2 having a pin in each compartment for puncturing the capsule therein, and a ilexible cap on said receptacle adapted to be displaced to cause said capsules to impinge on said pins.

4. The applicator of claim 3 in which said cap comprises a rigid circular element having a central aperture therethrough, and a flexible gasket within said element for sealing said cap to the receptacle, said gasket being displaceable through said central aperture.

5. A medicament applicator for treatment of the female genital organs comprising a gas tight compartment having an outlet, a capsule in the compartment said capsule containing a medicament and a compressed gas, manually operable means for puncturing the capsule, an elongated nozzle leading from the outlet of the compartment, and a flaring cup-like flange surrounding the nozzle and adapted to engage the body of the patientl to prevent leakage of gas between the body of the patient and the applicator, said compartment being cylindrical and approximately coaxial with the nozzle and having an opening at its end opposite the nozzle for insertion of a capsule, and a flexible closure for said opening.

6. An instrument for injecting gas into cavities of the human body comprising a chamber having a nozzle at one end and an opening at the other for insertion of a container for a mixture of a medicament and a compressed gas, a closure for said opening having a ilexible central portion, and means at said nozzle for puncturing the container when it is moved endWise by pressure on the flexible portion of the closure.

7. An instrument for injecting fluent medicament into body cavities comprising a chamber having a nozzle at one end and an opening at the other for insertion of a compressed gas container, puncturing means adjacent the nozzle. and a ilexible closure for the opening positioned to move the container toward the puncturing means upon pressure against said closure.

MILTON J. COHEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 527,681 Gray Oct. 16, 1894 662,658 Sterne Nov. 27, 1900 805,474 Lavertine Nov.. 28, 1905 806,188 Rees Dec. 5, 1905 

